Obtaining the Software

Download

RAPS is a tool for the assessment of complex and dynamic pastoral systems and is intended as decision support. Responsibility for any decisions based partly or wholly on the output of RAPS rests with the decision maker.

All users of RAPS must comply with the conditions of the License Agreement . Copies of the License are presented during installation and at the beginning of the User Guidelines. Intellectual Property Rights apply.

Steps

1. Print a copy of this page (recommended).

2. The following version of RAPS is available:

Professional version for specialist use by, for example, pastoral resource, land use or livestock professionals or post-graduate students.

Licensing of RAPS is generally without charge (free) to non-profit organizations (including United Nations Projects) and educational establishments.Refer toLicense Agreement for further information.

RAPS is currently available in English (an earlier version is translated to Chinese). Procedures that will enable translation into other languages have been tested.

3. Request download location from software developer by using hyperlink in table below. Please state city, country and intended use. Information will only be used by the RAPS Developer for statistical purposes and will not be disclosed to any other party.

As soon as possible after receipt of the RAPS download link request, an email reply will be sent giving location of RAPS installation file. The file may then be downloaded.

The installation file is 9.0-12.0 mb. Save the file in a temporary directory (remember where it is). If the option is presented, ensure that the download mode is set to BINARY.

If the download is too slow or problematic please notify the software developer and an alternative means of obtaining RAPS may be arranged.

4. Adobe Acrobat Reader (Version 4 or later) is required to view the RAPS Guidelines and Manual which are included in the RAPS Setup file. The Reader is very common and often installed on PCs. If not, it is available at no charge from Adobe Systems’ site:

Alternatively Adobe Acrobat Reader is frequently included in CDROMs supplied with computer magazines.

Installation

1. At the Windows main desktop screen follow the START | PROGRAMS menu options and then select “Windows Explorer”. Within Windows Explorer go to the temporary directory where RAPSSETUP.EXE was copied or saved and left-button double-click on the executable archive “RAPSSETUP.EXE”. Respond to any prompts.

2. The installation (set up) process will add a RAPS folder (containing programme and other icons) and a RAPS Model icon to the Windows programmes list. These are accessed via the START || PROGRAMS menu option.

3. Run the RAPS Model or RAPS Editor and respond to instructions and prompts (if any).

4. Make a complete backup of the RAPS directory (preferably on diskettes, memory card or CD).

Setting Up and Getting Started

All users of RAPS must comply with the conditions of the License Agreement, a copy of which is presented during installation and at the beginning of the User Guidelines.

RAPS is a sophisticated programme and uses a complex range of forage and livestock resource parameters and biological constants.

While the majority of parameters may be user modified, some parameters require specialist knowledge. Therefore it is recommended that if certain parameters are not understood then they should be left at their default values or settings.

Data quality: The quality of RAPS analysis output is dependent upon the quality of t he input data sets. The land/forage and livestock databases must be realistic and reflect practicable scenarios of biological function, management policy, and environmental opportunity and potential. Be wary of interpreting results of poor quality data sets:

Grey-shaded menu options indicate the option is not available in the particular version of RAPS.

Setting file associations: If not done automatically during the install, associate RAPS data files with the RAPS Editor and assign icons to those data files by follow following the GENERAL || SETUP || SET FILE ASSOCIATIONS menu path in the RAPS Editor programme.

Beginning: Probably the best way to learn the use of RAPS is through familiarisation, practice and experimentation. Steps in familiarisation are:

Read the User Guidelines, particularly the general operation of the RAPS model, the sections on forage and livestock database edit screens, and the Supplementary Notes (Printing a hard copy of the Guidelines is recommended).

Make a backup copy of the databases (preferably on diskette).

Analyse a sample data set as a quick familiarisation (described below).

Edit/View the sample forage and livestock data bases which are found in the “RAPS\Data” directory. This will illustrate the range of fields associated with each record of a database.

Practice analyses of the sample database, including use of the various analysis and output options, and the form and range of results.

Sample database sets and batch files are found in the “RAPS\Data” directory. For specific examples of the way particular land/forage types or livestock classes are described or set up in their respective databases (including grazing/hay or grazing/silage forage type combinations) refer to files in the “RAPS\Examples” directory and see the notes of example databases.

To analyse a sample data set as a quick familiarisation, run the RAPS Model, then double click on the coloured area around the 5 buttons on the right and select the “sampl1” files (base variable, forage and livestock) which are automatically presented sequence. You may have to change to the “RAPS\DATA” directory when the menu for choosing the Base Variable file is first presented.

When the analysis is completed, the Tabular (text) results should be printed so that the scope of the output is illustrated and a hard listing of the forage/land unit groupings and the forage (numbers) and livestock (letters) indices will be available for use during subsequent practise analyses of the “sampl1” data set. It is also recommended that prior to displaying graphs set the “detailed graph” check box so that graphs will include legends.

For further samples of databases and batch files (for sequential analyses, randomisation, trends etc) refer to files in the “RAPS\Data” directory and see the notes of example databases.

Problems etc: If you experience any problems, have questions or have suggestions (including functions or options you would like to have included) please contact the software developer.